Why Do Dogs Bark
First of all, from your dog’s standpoint:
BARKING IS TALKING!
Think about it: We talk about everything we feel, hear or see – even to ourselves. More so: Many people talk to some imaginary entity they hope or fear exists. And: Many people talk to their plants too.
To dogs, all this would appear outright insane . Why? Because dogs typically only talk:
- consciously to communicate with their environment
- and consciously or subconsciously to warn and fend off perceived danger – including in their sleep!
So, dogs do not talk to plants, dogs do not talk to an imaginary entity, and dogs do not talk to themselves. Very different to people, indeed.
When dogs bark, they bark to communicate, or to warn and fend off perceived danger. That’s it.
This is absolutely crucial insight, because it helps you to understand and appreciate your dog’s barking!
Top dog expert
Most dogs, including German Shepherds, really only bark when they expect that their body language alone may go unnoticed!
Dogs normally avoid barking because it drains a lot of their energy – see Energy Tools in the Dog Training Toolkit. And because they know that their body language is much more precise – if only the people and other animals understand the dog’s body language as well as the dog understands theirs?
Very different to dogs in London, New York, or Toronto.
How To Get Your German Shepherd Stop Barking At You
Below, I will mention a number of things that you can do if you want to get your German Shepherd to stop barking at you.
You can look at the book Training Your German Shepherd on Amazon to get more tips about how you can train your GSD.
Positive reinforcement training
One option would be to try positive reinforcement training. This is where you reward your German Shepherd for behaving the way that you want it to.
To use it to get it to stop barking you would do something such as:
- Stop giving it attention when it starts barking at you
- Give it attention when it stops barking at you
- Stop giving it attention again if it starts to bark at you again
- Repeat the above and reward it with treats when it does not bark at you when it normally would
Avoid reinforcing the behavior
While positive reinforcement training can work well it can also work against you.
If your method of getting your German Shepherd to stop barking at you is to give it things that it wants such as a toy, a walk or attention then it could be that it has learned that barking at you will get it those things.
Instead, an alternative option would be to stop giving it attention until it stops barking at you and then to reward it when it does not bark at you.
Get help from a trainer
If you are unable to get it to stop barking at you, it seems to be aggressive or you are unsure why it barks at you then getting help from a dog trainer would likely help a lot.
Be consistent
What Are Raised Hackles
When looking at hair standing up on your German Shepherds body, you are likely looking at raised hackles. These erect hairs are found along his back, beginning at the neck and running down to the tip of the tail.
They are more noticeable in the German Shepherd breed due to their coarse, dense, and wiry fur. Certain types of responses can trigger more raised hackles in certain spots than others.
The best way to understand it is to think of raised hackles like human goosebumps. They simply come and go when they please in response to something happening, whether its just a breeze of brisk, ice-cold wind, or we are feeling a type of emotion, such as being scared or angry.
This reflex is known as piloerection, which is simply an involuntary response under certain circumstances and to different emotions. All dogs will have this occur to them in their lifetime it is a typical response to certain things and it is something that they cannot control. Raised hackles can be more common in German Shepherds due to their extremely protective nature.
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I created and currently manage Pet Dog Owner, the website you can go to when you have questions about your dog’s behavior. It is my hope that you find Pet Dog Owner to be a helpful resource. It is also my hope that it will help you to improve your relationship with your dog. You can read more about me and my website here.
Your Dog Is Hungry Or Thirsty
Uhm, excuse me, hooman.
But its already past lunchtime.
Oftentimes, itll be hard to know what exactly your pooch wants.
But, what they do after barking may give you a hint.
For example, if your dog leads you to their food bowl or drawer of snacks
They could be hungry or want some treats. Or theyre telling you that theyre out of fresh water.
Does this happen in the morning?
In the middle of the day? Or upon returning home?
Relax, they dont mean to scare you out.
Sudden high-pitched and repetitive barks can also be a greeting. Like a simple Hello!or How are ya doin?
If this is your case, your pooch might be jumping as well. Or have their tail held high or wagging in the air.
Have you paid attention to your Fidos tail wagging?
Trivia: Researchers found that dogs move their tails to the left when they have a positive emotion. And theyll often wag it to the right if they feel anxious.
Whys that?
In canines, the right part of the brain controls their withdrawal response. This results in a left wag. While the left side is for positive stimuli. Which leads to a right wag.
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Dont Hide Your German Shepherd
As well as rewarding their dogs actions by accident, a lot of people also choose to hide their german shepherd. Instead of taking them out, they leave them in their homes where they dont get socialized.
As you can imagine this often ends up causing them to become even more problematic. Especially in cases where they are barking because theyre scared or havent been socialized enough.
Not only will the chances of their behavior worsening increase, but theyll also not get the exercise that they need.
Why Dog Shock Collars Are A Totally Unnecessary Training Tool
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Teach Them Alternatives To Barking
If your pooch only wants you to attend to their needs
You can decide if you have to correct this or not.
But if it bothers you , teach them new ways to communicate.
How?
For example, make your dog push a button near their feeding area when theyre hungry. Or teach them to bump their bowl using their snout instead.
Also, you can attach a bell near the door. Then make your pooch ring it when they want to go out.
Just remember, you have to reward them for doing these. And avoid giving what they need when they start barking.
Your Dog Is Asking You To Play With Them
Aarrrrr-ufff!
Is this the sound your pooch makes?
Or do they also have their head down, front limbs forward, and butt raised?
Whichever it is, your dog might be inviting you to play. Because theyre bored or bursting with energy.
The pose I described earlier is called play bow. And this is usually a sign that they want to have some fun.
So their bark could mean,Come on, lets play!or Throw the ball, please.
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Step : Use Sight Barriers To Prevent Your German Shepherd From Barking At Strangers
Territorial and alarm barking arise when your dog sees or hears something that excites them. This is why your German Shepherd barks at the living room window or along the fence as strangers walk by.;
The fastest method to stop barking at the window or in the yard is to control their environment. Block your dogs view of potential barking triggers, like strangers or neighbors, by physically making it harder for them to see the excitement.
In your yard, install privacy fencing or place reed fencing to fill in the gaps in the fence and cut off views to adjoining yards or activity in the street. Indoors, leave the curtains or blinds closed.;
Keep your dog away from the areas where strangers walk past, like your front door and rooms near the street or sidewalk. If your dog barks at strange noises, then install a white noise machine to help blur the background sounds that cause them to bark.;
If you arent meeting your dogs energy needs on a daily basis, they are more prone to barking at strangers. Use this guide to exercise your German Shepherd and meet their physical needsto reduce unwanted behavior.
How To Get Your German Shepherd To Stop Barking At Other Dogs
There are a number of things that you can do to get your German Shepherd to stop barking at other dogs that I will mention below.
You can look at the book Training Your German Shepherd on Amazon to get more tips about how you can train your GSD.
Teach it to associate other dogs with rewards
One option you have is to train your German Shepherd to stop barking at other dogs by using positive reinforcement training. This is where you teach your German Shepherd that it will get things that it wants when other dogs are around and it does not bark. This will help to get your German Shepherd to have positive feelings towards other dogs.
One way to do this is to try the open bar technique where you give your German Shepherd positive attention and a treat when you see other dogs on a walk. The positive attention and treat should stop when the other dog goes away or when your German Shepherd starts barking.
The treat should also be a special treat that you only give to your German Shepherd when other dogs are around.
You can also try shaping where you reward your dog for making small steps towards being well behaved.
You would start by rewarding it for not barking when it sees other dogs and then you would gradually build up to rewarding it for playing with other dogs without barking.
When youre doing this you will want to reward your German Shepherd for being well behaved before it has a chance to bark so avoid making large jumps in what you ask of it.
Try a growl class
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Your German Shepherd Is Sick Or Hurt
While dogs have evolved to have many tools to communicate with people, talking in human words is not one of those tools.
So your dog has to resort to other ways to let you know if they are hurt or sick. One of those ways can be barking.
While barking may not be the way your dog chooses to let you know they are sick or hurt, if the barking doesnt appear to have any other cause, it is time to dig deeper.
The health issue may be external or it might be internal. For example, some dogs that are having dietary issues or hormonal issues might become more aggressive or irritable and bark more.
Mood changes are one of the primary signs that your dog may be developing an underlying health issue, and barking more is one of the primary signs of a mood change.
This is the right time to reach out to your dogs veterinarian to report what you are witnessing and, if necessary, make an appointment for your dog to be examined.
Your German Shepherd Is Overly Excited
Something that may happen with some German Shepherds is that they simply become too excited and their hairs will stand up! This is more common in puppies rather than adults, but it can still occur.
In this instance, your German Shepherd simply will not be able to settle down. He might berunning excessively in circles, jumping up and down, or barking/yipping. He might have a case of what is known as the dog zoomies.
While this might not be the worst thing on this list, it still needs to be dealt with. Sure, sometimes the overexcitement will only last a couple of minutes before he can calm down in which case, not much needs to be done. However, if this is a recurring theme that happens often and for an extended time, then you need to do something about it.
It is important to note that overexcitement does not equate to happiness in your German Shepherd, even though it may appear that way. Being overly excited is something that he may be struggling with and could be upsetting and annoying for your dog, who simply may just want to relax just like when you and I are unable to sleep when we get overtired!
This study documented by the Association of Professional Dog Trainers showed that raised hackles during excited play can sometimes lead to aggression but only 40% of the time.
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Why Do German Shepherds Bark So Much And How To Stop It
All dogs bark, except for the Basenji. Just like words are our main way of communication, barking is your dogs way of communication, and while it may not be as complicated or sophisticated as our words, your german shepherd barks still have meaning, its up to you to understand what they mean.;
So, why do German Shepherds Bark so much? They bark to communicate something to you. They can be warning you of an intruder or want your attention directed to something they consider a threat, or they may be just bored and want to play and spend time with you.;
A dog that starts barking and just never stops is a sign of separation anxiety that will need more training and maybe even a professional to make sure the issue is handled right.;
However, sometimes you just need some peace and quiet, and a barking German shepherd can make this peace and quiet quite a difficult thing to achieve. Thats why you should understand why your dog is barking and how to make this barking stop when you want to.;
Why Does My German Shepherd Bark At Other Dogs
If your German Shepherd barks at other dogs then youre probably wondering why and what you can do about it.
This post will show you a number of reasons why your German Shepherd barks at other dogs and a number of things that you can do about it.
So, why does my German Shepherd bark at other dogs? Possible reasons are that it sees them as a threat, it is being protective, it is being dominating or that it is overly enthusiastic play.
There are actually a number of reasons why your German Shepherd might bark at other dogs and there are a number of things that you can do about it.
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What To Do If Your Dog Is Jumping On Your Guests
As well as jumping on your the chances are your german shepherd is also going to jump and bite guests you invite to your house. Not only is this embarrassing, but if theyre scared of dogs it could frighten your guests.
If you have guests coming over then you should pre-warn them that youre trying to teach your dog to stop. And if they could, follow the training that youre doing, by offering your dog a treat when they sit patiently and wait.
Lastly, if your guests dont want to, when they enter, get your dogs attention with treats if he starts jumping up. Once youve got his attention follow the guidelines above. Once your dog sits down patiently you can then give them the treat and attention.
When To Stop Feeding Your German Shepherd Puppy
Feeding Guidelines by Age 1 6-Week Old: German shepherd puppies of this age are likely to have not adapted yet. 2 10-Week Old: At this point, you can feed other types of food to your German shepherd puppy besides their mothers milk. 3 12-Week Old: Your German shepherd is now capable of digesting dry food.
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